Key Features
- By Shirley M. Hammond
- Paperback
- 186 pages
Product Description
Quick response to natural and man-made disasters can mean the difference between life and death for trapped victims. Highly trained Disaster Search Dogs (DSD) teams are an increasingly important component in response efforts to save lives in the face of terrorist attacks, earthquake, and floods - and training these teams has never been more important.
Whether you aspire to have your dog ready to help your community in case of a local disaster or you wish to select and train a dog to become part of a certified Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) DSD team, this is the first book written that tells you how to do it. Training the Disaster Seach Dog describes the step-by-step training methods that human-dog teams use to locate victims in rubble and is based on the author's 28 years of field experience.
You will learn:
- To teach DSD skills using positive training techniques
- How to build and train with the specialized equipment used in training
- How to prepare for the FEMA DSD certifications tests
- What it is like to part of a disaster recovery effort
What others are saying
"A great book? For anyone seriously interested in learning what it takes to train a Disaster Search Dog...a book that I can refer to aspiring dog handlers. It guides you through selection of a perfect puppy through training a mission-ready disaster dog."
- Ann McCurdy, Canine Training Director, FEMA Indiana Task Force 1, Lead Canine Evaluator for FEMA/DHS Canine Evaluations
"Training the Disaster Seach Dog takes a step-by-step approach in getting a dog ready for a deployment. It takes you through the training, the FEMA certification and the deployment processes. Shirley does not just tell you what to do; she explains the logic behind each skill the disaster search do needs to know. Every person considering becoming a disaster search dog handler, or already is one, should read this book."
- Debra Tosch, Executive Director National Disaster Search Dog foundation
"There are lots of skilled dog handlers throughout the world, but only a very limited number have the willingness, experience and skills to train others in the highly specialized field of disaster seach. Shirley's book, Training the Disaster Search Dog, represents a landmark in the field and is a must for DSD handlers and agencies throughout the world."
- Janelle Mackie, Coordinator of New Zealand Urban Search & Rescue Dogs
Table of Contents
- You and Your Disaster Search Dog
- Training Program Elements
- Train the Alert Behavior
- Agility Training
- Direction and Control
- Moving the Alert Training to the Rubble Pile
- Beginning Search Exercise in the Rubble Pile
- Advanced Search Exercises in the Rubble Pile
- Preparing for the FEMA Basic Type II Test
- Training for the Advanced Type I Test
- The FEMA Advanced Type I Test
- Ready for Deployment
- On the Scene at Three Major Disaster
- Appendices
- Glossary
- Author Biography
About the Author
Shirley Hammond is know world-wide for her expertise in training DSD teams. She has dedicated years of her life to developing and using the training techniques she details in this book. Shirley had been a key member of the FEMA Task Force and has helped develop standards and testing techniques for DSD work both nationally and internationally. Shirly is currently working with her dogs in the field of Historical Human Remains Detection with archeologists and anthropologists to located pre-historical and historical graves.
Have you used this product?
Your review helps others choose the right products for their dogs. Let them know what you think!
Write a ReviewShirley explains how agility skills can be translated into helping your dog become a Disaster Search Dog as part of her training triangle. Shirley also comprehensively lays out training goals and plans and how to implement them with your dog to make you successful in this new training.
The Appendix information is helpful for determining if your dog would be successful as a Disaster Search Dog or if your puppy would be. There's also useful instructions on how to build your own training equipment. The book uses photographs and diagrams to explain concepts to further learning.